120 



Dr. Richardson's Contrifmtions to 



XVI.— Contributions to the Ichthyology of Australia. By 

 John Richardson, M.D., F.R.S., &c, Inspector of* 

 Hospitals, Haslar. 



[Continued from p. 31.] 



Centropristes scorpenoides (Cuv. & VaL), Scorpenoid 

 Centropristes. 



Scorpene de Waigiou, Quoy & Gaimard, Zool. Voy. de Frey., pi. 58. f. 1. 

 Centropristes scorpenoides, Cuv. & Val. Hist, des Poiss. iii. p. 48. 

 No. 31. Mr. Gilbert's collection. 



In characterizing the Plectropomes, Cuvier observes that 

 they differ from the Serrani in the teeth of the angle and un- 

 der limb of the preoperculum being directed forwards, and 

 that he has separated them merely to facilitate their nomen- 

 clature. Had the Centropristes been equally numerous, this 

 species might have been detached by the same character as 

 the Plectropomes, for its preoperculum is spurred beneath 

 still more strongly and acutely*. But though the Centro- 

 pristes do not form a copious group, neither do they, as 

 enumerated in the ' Histoire des Poissons/ constitute a very 

 natural one. The illustrious authors of that work have pointed 

 out the resemblance of the C. truttaceus to a Casio, and indi- 

 cated it as the probable type of a distinct genus, and its allied 

 species C. georgianus has actually been made the type of the 

 genus Arripis\ by Mr. Jenyns. Abstracting these and the 

 Japanese C. hirundinaceus, which has also a peculiar aspect, 

 the remaining Centropristes described in the f Histoire des 

 Poissons' are all American. 



The species at present under consideration is named by the 

 natives at Port Essington c Seebererdidwee,' and is abundant 

 in all the shallow parts of the harbour. It has a strong re- 

 semblance to a Scorpana in the character of its scales, in ge- 

 neral form, in possessing a nasal cirrhus, in the structure of 

 the anal spines, and in the small number of rays in that fin. 

 These peculiarities no doubt determined Messrs. Quoy and 

 Gaimard to place it in the genus Scorpcena. The teeth of 

 the typical Serrani being long and slender, particularly pos- 

 teriorly and towards the mesial line, as well as curved back- 

 wards, and having moreover a few stronger ones intermixed, 

 are especially adapted for preventing the escape of the ani- 

 mals on which these fishes feed. But the numerous spe- 



* The appellation of Centrogenys, which is nearly synonymous with that of 

 Plectropoma, would have been appropriate had it been advisable to give a 

 subgeneric name to this curious fish. A specimen having the vomer and 

 palate bones cut away might be taken for a Centropomns. 



f Zoology of the Voy. of the Beagle. 



